Need lathe advice....

[Jim Izat]

I'm considering buying a lathe for the shop. I've read and read about the joys of turning by many here and before on BP and I like the idea of being able to use a spare hour or two in the shop and actually be able to accomplish something when I'm done. It looks like it'll be another twenty years before I get to spend time in the shop in meaningful blocks so a lathe seems to be a good way to keep my hand in with wood and maybe make things other people might like to see in their homes.

Any way I've read and re-read all the advice on what to start out with and, to be honest, I only want to buy a lathe once. I know about how much the tools and accessories are going to cost long term and I'm okay with that. I'd rather invest in a serious lathe that'll serve my needs until I'm no longer able to use it. To that end, if you had 1,500 to 2,000 USD to spend on a lathe which one would be the best value for the money?

Value is defined for the purposes of this discussion as:

<b>Sufficient power to turn large heavy pieces of wood.
Rugged construction that will stand up to the above for decades
Close tolerances and good fit/finish
Sufficient mass to stay put
Long term availability of spare parts
Good track record of quality in the past.</b>

Thanks for pointing me in the right direction,

<b><font color=green size=3>Jim Izat</b></font>

[Garrett Lambert]

Hi Jim

You want:

"Sufficient power to turn large heavy pieces of wood.
Rugged construction that will stand up to the above for decades
Close tolerances and good fit/finish
Sufficient mass to stay put
Long term availability of spare parts
Good track record of quality in the past."

Tough but good criteria.

Within your budget, you could buy the General 26020-1 with mechanically variable speed, and for about $2500, the General 26020 VFD with electronically variable speed. Both lathes meet all your specifications. I and 2 of my friends own the VFD, and are very happy with it. It's truly a life-time purchase. I recently watched the Del Stubbs and Richard Raffan videos, and they were both turning on Generals.

For info on both, click here: General 26020 (http://www.general.ca/product/general/260an.html)

Cheers, Garrett

[Jim Becker]

Jim--forget about turning being a pleasure, it's really a major addiction! For real.

In your price range you have a number of choices, including the new Jet 1642, which is a slightly smaller adaptation of the popular PowerMatic 3520A. Delta has their 16" steel bed lathe in that price range and the NOVA DVR decked out with the bed extenison should be there, too. There are others, too, but these are some good examples to get started. If you can go a few more dollars, the PM 3520A and a few other machines could be worthy of consideration. OneWay is bringing out a new 16" machine, but has not announced pricing yet.

The best recommendation I can make is to attend a meeting or three for your local American Association of Woodturners (http://www.woodturner.org) chapter and talk to folks about what they like about different lathe brands and models. Many of these folks are very experienced turners and that kind of advise is invauable. You'll also probably be able to pick up a mentor or two to help you get started.

[George Troy Hurlburt]

The Vicmarc VL175 would be close to your specifications. These are high quality lathes from Australia. One Good Turn sells them out of San Antonio TX. There is also an interest group for Vicmarc lathes: http://groups.msn.com/VicmarcOwnersGroup

[Bud Duffy]

Jim over on page two a post by Randy Miller looks like the sort of lathe you are looking for he did not say price, its final assembly by randy miller. good luck bud

[Randy Miller]

Bud,

The Stubby is around 5k after shipping, stand, etc. For the "around 2k" I think the General, the Delta Steel Bed, and the new Jet 16" all offer good value & features.

Regards,
Randy

[John Weber]

Jim,

Consider used, either a Delta/Rockwell HD 12" or a Powermatic model 90. Both offer lots of mass to dampen vibration and smooth mechanical variable speed. The main drawback in capacity, as many bowl turners like a 20" lathe. You can usually find them in the $500 to $1500 range depending on condition, voltage/phase, etc... I love mine and restored it a couple years ago.

Good Luck - John



<img src=http://www.weberwoodworking.com/images/Lathe%201.jpg>

[Dale Thompson]

Jim,
Forget about turning. It is addictive, frustrating(unless you become an expert on sharpening your chisels), ego-destroying, and turns all of your other shop tools into servants of the Lathe God. DON'T DO IT!!

On the other hand, if you DO make the fatal decision of destroying your self esteem and trying a lathe, do it right the first time.

Even if you start with a small pen lathe, make sure that it has electronic speed control. Changing belts is not only a pain the neck but the belt dust is a greasy slurry which stains your "treasure" unless you wash your hands after every speed change. "On the Fly" reverse is also nice for sanding. If you do your tool work right, you won't have to sand very much--I sand a lot. ;)

I love my PM 3520. It was a bit pricey but it will do everything which you had on your list--and more. I've done hundreds of pens and pencils and have also done quite a few 34" Ship's Wheel Clocks. The PM 3520 doesn't really care. It has max. torque at every speed from virtually zero to over 3000 RPM. :D

Whatever, you have gotten a lot of good advice on this thread. Just remember that all of them suffer from advanced cases of mental and psychological retardation. They all think that everything is "round". Many of them may also subscribe to the ridiculous theory that the WORLD is round.

Mine is only one more input but it is most certainly realistic. My best advice, therefore,remains, "Take a look at a bunch of lathes and then RUN LIKE HECK!!" :)

One good turn deserves another. GOOD TURNING!!

Dale T.:)

[Steven Wilson]

That's a real hard price point. I eventually gave in and got a 3HP Oneway 2436 with lots of options. Anyhow, a couple of lathes that I seriously looked at and would have been happy with are the Vicmarc 300EL and Powermatic 3520A. If Powermatic has finally drilled out the tailstock of the 3520A then that would be a very nice choice. What I like about it is the combination of longbed and shortbed lathe, all within a nice small package. The Vicmarc 200 or 300 series are great lathes at nice pricepoints, however I was a little dismayed with estimated shipping quotes I received from various vendors. The Stubby 1000 was also on my list but to get the capicity I wanted would have required some custom modifications. I quickly ruled out the older Powermatic 90 and 45 because of parts availability, parts costs, and capacity. I ruled out the steel bed Delta because I've seen one in action and it stalls too frequently requiring reseting the VFD - not good. Good luck

[Dennis Peacock]

Jim,

A lot of Pro turners around here use the WoodFast Lathe. It has speed changes via belt and with a varialbe speed withing the speed range of where you have the belt speed set at that time. The Woodfast lathes come in at around $2500 and up. You will need to consider some HSS turning tools that will run you around $200 for piecing a good set together and you should also consider a good lathe "chuck" so you can turn bowls more easily and quickly and depending on the chuck of choice...you can count on around $200 to $300 for the chuck and accessories for the chuck. You will also need a good grinder or Tormek for consistent bevel grinding and sharpening of the turning tools.

Sharpening the turning tools can be a real challenge and often frustrating if you try to do it and learn sharpening Free Hand. I use a mix between my Tormek and a bench grinder with good results. The Tormek puts a very nice and consistant edge on the tools and when turning items that are thin or fragile.....very sharp turning tools are a requirement rather than a nice to have if you intend on getting that fragile turning off the lathe in one nice looking piece. DAMHIKT!!!

I would probably consider the new Jet 1642 that is in your price range and the Delta as mentioned above. A lathe purchase for the rest of your life? You will need to spend more than $2K for the lathe, tools and chuck and would more than likely be in the $3K to $4K price range.

Just my input on your question.